As used herein, in both the specification and claims, "body fluid" includes all fluids released from a woman's body proximate the labia majora, including menses, blood, and urine. Articles known for receiving and absorbing body fluid tend to correspond to one of three types of construction. The first type of construction comprises an internally-used absorbent tampon which is inserted into the vagina. The absorbent tampon-type device generally intercepts and absorbs the menses fluid in the vagina. Thus, the intercepted fluid is retained in the vagina, albeit held in the tampon contained therein, whereby menses fluid generally does not reach the external body tissues propinquant the vagina. Exemplary of such internally-used tampon is U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,422 issued to Conner et al.
Desirably, tampons tend to intercept the menses fluid inside the body, whereby, in theory, the menses fluid does not flow freely out of the body on body tissues. However, during the times of heavy fluid flow, fluid can leak past the tampon, whereby an external pad may need to be used in combination with the tampon. Further, some users experience discomfort related to the use of a tampon, especially when the normal bulk of the tampon has been increased by absorption of menses fluid. So conventional tampons may sometimes have disadvantages related to leakage, and may sometimes cause discomfort derived from their bulk inside the vagina.
The second type of construction comprises an externally-worn absorbent pad adapted to be disposed on the outside of the body against the labia majora. Such a pad generally intercepts and absorbs the menses fluid at or adjacent the introitus of the vagina, or outside the vagina after the fluid has left the vagina completely. Exemplary of such an externally-worn absorbent pad is U.S. Pat. No. 2,331,355 issued to Strongson.
Externally-worn pads generally do not intrude into the highly sensitive introitus and the general interior of the vagina, and so may be more comfortable to the wearer, at least when first put in place. However, when using such external pads, menses fluid flows on the body tissues at and near the introitus before reaching the pad and being absorbed into the pad. This contact between menses fluid and the external body tissues propinquant the vagina can cause discomfort. In addition, since the fluid is absorbed into the absorbent material in the pad through the surface of the pad facing the body, the surface of the pad facing the body tends to be somewhat wet with menses fluid, and accordingly uncomfortable. Thus, conventional external pads fail to inhibit contact between menses fluid and the body tissues propinquant the vagina, and those body tissues tend to stay uncomfortably moistened by menses fluid. Finally, the external pad is generally held in place by securing it to the user's undergarment. When the undergarment shifts, the pad shifts also, whereby the pad is sometimes shifted out of its desired position propinquant the introitus. This shift of the pad commonly results in leakage of menses fluid around the pad and onto the user's garments.
Accordingly, there has been considerable investigation into a third type of construction, namely articles directed at intercepting body fluid both inside, and outside, of the vagina. Such articles prevent the body fluid from reaching the body tissues propinquant the vagina, while addressing potential leakage onto the external body tissues propinquant the vagina. Such articles comprise a combination of elements, one of which has the characteristics of an internal tampon, and another of which has the characteristics of an external pad. Exemplary of such combination articles are those disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,092,346 issued to Arone; 3,420,234 issued to Phelps; 3,690,321 issued to Hirschman; 3,905,372 issued to Denkinger. United Kingdom patent 1,412,111 issued to Alemany teaches all three related types of construction, namely an internal tampon, an external pad, and in combination an internal tampon and an external shield having a fluid-absorbing peripheral strip.
While all the above combination articles offer an external pad for absorbing at least some of the fluid received, thus tending to overcome the leakage issue associated with tampons, all of the means offered for intercepting the fluid in the vagina comprise absorbent tampon-like devices adapted to absorb fluid and hold it in the vagina. But it is precisely such tampon-like structures in the vagina which can make tampons feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, none of these designs address the issue of leakage around external pads.
So, while conventionally-known articles tend to reduce the potential for leakage related to use of tampons, they do not address the issue of leakage around external pads. Nor do they solve the problem of discomfort, either discomfort from intrusion of the bulky tampon into the vagina, or discomfort from body fluid spreading onto the body tissues outside the vagina before being absorbed into the pad.